If you follow the Food in Jars Facebook page, you may have already spotted this on Tuesday when I posted it over there. However, being that this Thursday post is all about ways to use up those preserves, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to share this article again.

You see, when I was out in Portland in December, Deena and I got together in a beautiful borrowed kitchen (it belongs to friends of my parents) and cooked up a bunch of amazingly delicious food so it could be made pretty and photographed. Each recipe was designed to feature a sweet preserve in a savory application. Deena wrote up everything we made in that afternoon of cooking and the result is this terrific piece that ran in the Oregonian on Tuesday, in their FOODday section.

A couple of weeks ago I had spent a few hours making marmalade after work. By the end of it I was tired and really just wanted to skip dinner, but it is not just me so I had to come up with something. There was a little marmalade left in the bottom of the pot to which I added olive oil and some soy sauce. I threw in a few strips of steak that I hadn’t used for fajitas the night before and served it on top of a bed of mixed greens. It was one of those last minute things, but it turned out so well I made it again over soba noodles this week.

I received as a gift a wonderful jar of Maine berry preserves that had blueberries and cranberries in it. I am not much of a toast eater so I wanted to find something yummy to do with the preserves. What I came up with was so simple it really doesn’t need to be written, but it got such raves! I mixed the preserves with Port wine and served just like that over baked ham. Simple and delicious.

Marisa – I have been reading your blog for a few years and was so excited to be mentioned in the same story as you. I think we have multiple friends in common and would love to meet you the next time you are in pdx. Your recipes are inspiring, and your photographs are beautiful! Best of luck on your new book.